1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magazine arrangement for a tank. More specifically, the present invention relates to a magazine arrangement for a tank having a turret accommodating a crew chamber and a tubular weapon, particularly a howitzer, in its front portion, and two magazine units in its rear portion, with the two magazine units being disposed respectively on the right and left of the extension of the longitudinal axis of the tubular weapon, and with one magazine unit receiving propelling charges and the other magazine unit receiving projectiles. The arrangement may further include an at least semi-automatic device for supplying the projectiles into the charge chamber of the tubular weapon.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
A magazine arrangement of the above type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,209 wherein two drum magazines, one for projectiles and the other one for propelling charges, are provided behind the howitzer. These two magazines receive the projectiles and propelling charges with their longitudinal axes oriented in a direction parallel to the howitzer's longitudinal axis. The loading or supplying of projectiles and propelling charges to the tubular weapon is carried out automatically by devices which are disposed in front of the drum magazines and take up a great deal of space in the crew chamber, thereby interfering with manual loading or operation of the tubular weapon. Moreover, with this arrangement, the crew chamber is not secured or protected with respect to the propelling charge magazine, and thus if one charge explodes the crew is not protected. Also because of the configuration of the drum magazine, the capacity of the magazine is limited.
DE-OS No. 3,046,642 discloses a magazine arrangement which includes two belt magazines, one each on the right and left sides of the longitudinal axis of the barrel of the gun or tubular weapon. Both magazines accommodate different types of ammunition which have their respective projectile tips oriented inwardly toward a vertical plane containing the gun barrel's longitudinal axis. This arrangement likewise does not provide sufficient protection between the two magazines and the crew chamber to protect the crew against deflagrating ammunition.